By Sun Yang
Koreans spent more than 15 months protesting against reinstating U.S. beef imports and a free trade agreement (FTA).
We, the citizens of the Republic of Korea, took the lead in weeks of peaceful, nonviolent candle demonstration, but in spite of our efforts, the U.S. beef import still passed. Protests and demonstrations have ceased, and no one seems to talk about this issue anymore. Have we given up? Big supermarkets are shamelessly selling cheap U.S. beef, and its sales continue to increase. Where did the 100,000 protesters go? Are they also at the chain supermarkets, buying cheap U.S. beef?
Beef plays an enormous role in Korean culture and society. It has always been expensive in Korea, and therefore, many Koreans feel a special attachment to it ― not many people can afford to provide their children with healthy dishes with beef, and thus it has become a luxury good and a symbol of wealth and status.
Consequently, cheap U.S. beef has undoubtedly attracted many Koreans. This increased attraction towards cheap U.S. beef has caused and will cause many problems that are difficult to solve. The only focus of our demonstrations against U.S. beef import was on mad cow disease issues, but in reality, there are many characteristics of U.S. cattle production that are even more problematic and pertinent to issues we face today.
Why and how exactly is U.S. beef cheaper than Korean beef? Unlike Korean cows that are fed grass and other vegetables that they can easily digest, American cattle are given the cheapest feed available, such as meat from diseased animals and unhealthy amounts of grain (mostly cheaply-grown corn and soybeans). Cows cannot digest such grains very well, but American ranchers use them in order to fatten up their cows quickly and efficiently. Furthermore, they administer excessive amounts of antibiotics to prevent the cows from getting sick before they are sold.
Raising cows in this manner leads to various problems. The beef from cows fed with cheap grains are lower in nutritional content and higher in fat compared to cows raised on grass (i.e. Korean cows). These grains also contain high levels of pesticides, which may increase the risk of developing cancer or have long-term effects on human reproductive, nervous and immune systems.
Moreover, the excessive administration of antibiotics could prompt the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and consumption of beef with such bacteria may introduce dangerous bacteria strains in the human population that cannot be cured with available antibiotics.
There is yet another issue that we must discuss ― the relationship between the current obesity epidemic and meat consumption. Many factors are held responsible for the current obesity epidemic, one of which is increase in food consumption, including meat. Amongst all Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, Korea has the lowest prevalence of obesity at 3.5 percent, but the rate has been rapidly increasing.
Cheap, overabundant meat generated from cheap, overabundant grain exacerbates the obesity epidemic. When people suffer from malnutrition, lower meat and dairy prices are good news, but in today's society, where overeating has become a serious problem in many developed and developing countries, they are not. What might seem to be progress that comes with the availability of lower beef prices and more foods could actually be a regression towards one of the biggest problems that Americans face today.
Unless we open our eyes and address the obesity epidemic that Americans have already inflicted on themselves, we may fall into the same trap with widespread adverse effects on public health, such as increased coronary heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke and so forth.
You may ask what we can do now. We all know that it will be difficult to break the existing cultural and social notion of beef in our country ― beef and Korean food culture are inseparable. I do not and cannot ask you to stop eating beef all together.
However, I ask that you choose Korean beef over cheap U.S. beef. With the U.S. beef and grains imports, we are driving out local farmers and butchers and turning to cheap crops and meat. Local farmers and butchers will play less and less of a role in providing foods, and therefore buying Korean beef will not only help our local farmers but also protect our own health.
If we continue to buy cheap, poor quality U.S. beef, our own Korean cow farmers might need to find ways to make cheaper beef in order to survive. Accordingly, I ask that the Korean government provide support to Korean cow farmers to encourage their efforts in raising healthy cows. I ask the Korean population, native and abroad, to think about the origin of meat and its numerous detrimental impacts when we stand in front of the meat section at the grocery store.
Buy Korean beef and spend more on quality rather than quantity because you will ultimately end up saving money by acquiring more nutritious meat and causing less harm to your health.
Lastly, I ask Korean journalists and writers to write more articles and books about the issues behind food ethics and politics. Both native Koreans and Korean-Americans are not sufficiently aware of the issues regarding beef production, and thus it is important that Korean writers provide materials to spread awareness.
It's never too late to start.
The writer is a college student. She can be reached at syyang09@stanford.edu.